Page 585 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

or to be picked up just as it happens to be. Quite a good meeting. Jordan came in when I got back. Tennis at
the Mission. Quite good tennis. After dinner the Shaikh sent in a messenger to say he was coming in
tomorrow morning on urgent business. I discovered that he had received a letter about a case which is being
taken by the Agency Court from Shaikh Abdulla bin Jeloui, Ibn Saoud's Amir of the Province of Hassa. He is
always trying to interfere in Bahrain matters and in this case he had the impudence to suggest that the
people in the case should be sent over to him to be tried. I sent for Abdel Rezzak, from the Agency, and had
a talk to him about it, as usual I found from him that the Kozaibis are at the bottom of the affair.

Wednesday 20th August

The Shaikh came in the morning so I didnt get my breakfast till after ten oclock and then only because
Abdulla bin Jabr reminded the Shaikh that I had not yet had it. The old man never thinks of such things. He
was very fussed about the letter and sent for Abdula Rezzak. It took him about two hours to compose a short
letter to the Agency which I could have done in five minutes. His attitude was as usual to shift the onus of
replying onto someone else, in fact onto the Agency, as usual. He is always so terrified of offending Ibn
Saoud who he fears much more than the Government of India. Ahmed Siadi came in in a great fuss with a
complaint that he had been publicly insulted by one of the Shera Kadis at the Court. He was terribly excited.
I told him if he had a complaint he should write it officially, finally he left. Had a meeting with Parke and the
Postmaster to discuss methods of catching the anonymous letter writer. The letters are posted in the post
office here, not stamped. It ought to be possible to nab him. Went down to the bazaar with Abdulla bin Jabr
to see the piece of ground which the Shaikh is thinking of giving to his son Khalifa. Very hot day. Motored in
the afternoon, we went over the houses of Mohamed Sherif and his son which are up for sale. The son's
house is a most delightful house and would be very nice for a European to live in, fine tall well proportioned
rooms and plenty of space. A dinner party at the Mission to celebrate Dr Tiffany's birthday, it was meant to
be a surprise and she was not told that anyone was coming, so she appeared in a very muddly looking dress
looking most untidy, rather a silly sort of idea. Played guessing games. Dame discussed the branding that
the Arabs do as a cure for all illnesses, he says in a few cases it is fairly effective, but usually no good. He also
discussed the Arab cure for cataract of the eye which is usually a success.

Thursday 21st August

Busy seeing people in the office all the morning. Saw the Sikh Superintendent of the Power House, seems a
very decent fellow. Jordan came in and we discussed a cable to Muharrak. Hot day. Shaikh Abdel Latif
called in the afternoon. M went to see Ayesha. I went to dinner with the young Amir of Rafaa. Only Parke
and an old Dawasir Shaikh were there. Had dinner on the roof of the tower in his house. It was very cool and
pleasant but not a very well cooked dinner. He was saying that he had never in his life been to two villages
about five miles from Rafaa. Really these Arabs are amazingly insular. There are many people in Manama
who have never been over to Muharrak, a mile and a half by sea. Had a bathe at Idari on my way back. A
crowd of Persians having a dinner there so didnt stay long.

Friday 22nd August 1930